Family
by Senashenta
Summary: Keira was a Herald: WAS. But her Companion died long ago, leaving her to live her life as a broken woman. For years she has existed in misery, but now someone is about to come to her and bring her back into the light of the world.


**Disclaimer: **Valdemar & concepts belong to Mercedes Lackey!

**Notes:** This is the very first Valdemar fanfiction I ever wrote! I did this back in Summer/2000, just after my grade 9 year when I first got into the Heralds Of Valdemar books. Anyway, I just was just going through my old writing discs/files and found this (as well as a bunch more of my old Valdemar fics, which I wrote before my family had the Internet, thank the Havens!) and thought I'd upload it just to give you all a treat. Sure, it's the kind of treat that'll probably make your eyes bleed (and will probably invoke mighty wrath from evil-cat...) but it's a treat nonetheless! A _treat_, I say!

I like to think I've improved. A lot.

**Family**

                Keira closed her eyes and wished with all her heart that she had never agreed to come back to Haven, even if it was only for a few days. But since it was her brother's wedding day tomorrow, it wasn't as if she'd had much of a choice.****

                "I was stupid for saying I'd come." She muttered to herself, and her horse—a black palfrey that she had named Celan—snorted as if in agreement. She patted his neck and reined him in at her first sight of the guard post at the edge of the city.****

                She stopped Celan in front of the small building and the guard stepped out, "g'd afternoon, ma'am," he said politely. "What's your business in Haven t'day?"****

                "I'm in town for my brother's wedding," she answered, "and I'll be visiting old friends at the Collegium, too."****

                The man nodded. "Ah, well, I'll need y'er name then, ma'am, and where y'er from if y'er gonna' be goin' to the Collegium."****

                "My name is Keira." She told him, "I'm from Sweetsprings."****

                The man nodded. "Alright, then, I'll be seein' y'around, ma'am."****

                Keira smiled slightly at the stocky man and then clucked to Celan, who started off again at a brisk pace. She rode quickly through the streets, trying to avoid looking at the Heralds and their Companions if she could help it—she'd have enough of that tomorrow at the wedding since it was being held in Companion's field.****

                She turned down her brother's street and stopped in front of the house, getting down off of Celan and tying him outside the house, then walking up to the door. She knocked twice and waited, listening to the sounds of her brother stopping whatever it was he was doing and getting to his feet.****

                Soon afterwards, the door opened and Keira's brother, Rosel, pulled her inside the house.****

                "I didn't think you'd come." Rosel said, as he poured her a cup of hot willowbark tea (not her favourite, but it would have to do) and handed it to her, along with some sugar cubes.****

                "I wasn't going to." Keira admitted, "and I'm still having second thoughts, but I decided that I can't hide from my past forever."  ****

                Rosel nodded and sat down opposite her at the kitchen table. "It's been twelve years, Keira; you should be able to move on." ****

                "I know, Rosel, but it's hard..." Keira closed her eyes, and thought, retraced her life to twelve years prior—to when _she_ had been a Herald.****

_                It was a night that you heard about in ballads, not a cloud in the sky, and a moon so bright it was almost daylight outside. Keira had only received her Whites a month before, but she had been unable to go out on her circuit right away, because her Companion Leala was heavily pregnant._****

_                Keira had planned on staying the night in the stable with Leala because the mare had told her that she was sure to go into labour—and soon._****

_                She fell asleep in the straw beside the Companion and was awakened in the middle of the night by Leala's urgent nudges. The mare had gone into labour._****

_Keira tried to help her, but had soon realised that something was seriously wrong, the foal was breech, and Leala was bleeding heavily._****

**  
**

_She ran for Herald Riandra and a Healer, and when they returned she sat at Leala's side, trying to soothe her, stroking her side and whispering encouragement._

_Keira remembered vaguely thinking that her Whites would be ruined because of the blood, but then Leala shuddered and whispered into her mind :__Chosen__, forgive me...:_

_The Healer leaned back from the Companion and looked up at Keira, he shook his head and said; "I did all I could... but she lost too much blood. I'm sorry."_

_He had wasted his breath._

_The emptiness in her heart and mind where Leala's love had once been told her better than any words ever could, and Keira felt tears spill from her eyes. She rested her head on the side of her Companion, and then sat up._

_"I felt something move." She told the Healer emotionlessly. "The little one is still alive."_

_Then she stood up and walked out of the stable, leaving the Healer to deal with the foal._

_She went straight to her room, ignoring everything else, and packed up her things._

_And she rode out of town the next morning, and she didn't look back_.

Keira sighed. "I never even knew what it was." She said.

Rosel looked confused "What?"

"The foal," she clarified, "I never found out if it was male or female—or even if it survived."

"You could talk to Riandra, she'd know." Her brother suggested.

"No." Keira shook her head. "I just want to put it all behind me."

Rosel dropped the subject.

The next day Keira rose at false-dawn to start preparing for the wedding, and set to work with dread in her heart.

"What did they have to have the wedding in Companion's field?" She muttered to herself. "Oh, sure, Evadne is a Herald, but so what? They could have had the ceremony in town and then had the party in the Collegium—then I wouldn't have to go!"

About a candlemark after noon, Keira finished getting ready and set out for the Collegium, riding Celan. The wedding was beautiful, but Keira didn't really see it, all she saw were the Companions, and she left early because she couldn't stand being around them.

She went back to Rosel's house and sat by the fire, reading.

Until she went to the stove to get a cup of tea, she had even almost forgot about the torment of the wedding.

But then she looked out the window above the stove.

Standing in the front yard, the sun glinting off her sparkling white coat, was Leala.

Keira gasped and dropped her cup, it shattered on the floor, but she didn't notice.

Then reality snapped back. 

_I'm going mad._ She thought, _of all things, why do I have to imagine Companions? It can't be Leala. She's dead._

_:Yes, sister of my soul, but doesn't a part of her live on in me?:_ The female voice came from everywhere and nowhere at the same time.

Keira sobbed, "why must you torment me?" She cried, "what do you want?"

  


_:I want to be with you, Chosen.:_ The voice told her, _:and I want you to know that my mother was very proud to be your Bonded.:_

"Chosen?" Keira whispered, "I'm not Chosen. My Companion is dead."

_:Your first Companion has departed. But I am still here. And I Choose you.:_

Keira Felt the love and warmth that she had lost when Leala died beginning to fill her heart and soul again, and she couldn't help smiling—if only a little.

_:Now, Chosen, begin your healing.:_

"Thank you." Keira sighed, "now what is you name?"

_:My name is Alysse:_ The Companion told her _:and my mother's name...:_ The Companion paused, _:...was Leal__a.:_


End file.
